Documentary | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/documentary
Latest news and features from theguardian.com, the world's leading liberal voiceen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2017Tue, 26 Sep 2017 21:53:38 GMT2017-09-26T21:53:38Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2017The Guardianhttps://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttps://www.theguardian.com
The Vietnam War review – Ken Burns makes a complex story immediately comprehensiblehttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/26/the-vietnam-war-review-a-complex-story-made-immediately-comprehensible
<p>The famed documentary-maker and his collaborator Lynn Novick bring their brand of meticulous, epic documentary to the murky story of the US’s embroilment in south-east Asia</p><p>In the opening sequence of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b096k7q7/broadcasts/upcoming"><strong>The Vietnam War</strong></a> (BBC4), grainy footage rolls backwards: bombs fall up, riot police back away from protesters, villages and draft cards reconstitute themselves out of the flames. This sequence drags the viewer back in time, beyond some indeterminate point where history takes on the imprint of inevitability. Let’s stop looking at the Vietnam war through the prism of subsequent events, it says. Let’s remember what happened.</p><p>The release of a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/25/the-vietnam-war-terror-heartbreak-and-helicopters-ablaze-in-an-epic-documentary">new 10-part Ken Burns documentary</a> is always a big deal, although this one seems particularly timely. He shares the directing credit with long-time collaborator Lynn Novick, who probably isn’t getting enough attention for her contribution, but Burns’s name is so indelibly associated with a certain style of film-making it’s almost an adjective. In fact, the “Ken Burns effect” is the name commonly used for the editing software option that allows you to pan and zoom across still photographs, mimicking the technique so extensively deployed in his most famous documentary, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/sep/04/ken-burns-the-civil-war-americas-greatest-documentary-rides-again">The Civil War</a>.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/25/the-vietnam-war-terror-heartbreak-and-helicopters-ablaze-in-an-epic-documentary">The Vietnam War: terror, heartbreak and helicopters ablaze in an epic documentary</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/26/the-vietnam-war-review-a-complex-story-made-immediately-comprehensible">Continue reading...</a>DocumentaryTelevisionTelevision & radioCultureVietnamFactual TVTue, 26 Sep 2017 06:00:35 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/26/the-vietnam-war-review-a-complex-story-made-immediately-comprehensiblePhotograph: BBCPhotograph: BBCTim Dowling2017-09-26T06:00:35ZDavid Attenborough on the scourge of the oceans: 'I remember being told plastic doesn't decay, it's wonderful'https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/25/david-attenborough-on-the-scourge-of-the-oceans-i-remember-being-told-plastic-doesnt-decay-its-wonderful
<p>His sequel to The Blue Planet will focus not only on the marvels of sea life but also the threats to it. The naturalist explains why plastic pollution, climate change and overpopulation are problems too urgent to be left to ecologists</p><p>David Attenborough vividly remembers, nearly 80 years on, his first encounter with one of the worst scourges of the planet. He was a schoolboy. “I remember my headmaster, who was also my science master, saying: ‘Boys, we’ve entered a new era! We’ve entered, we’ll be proud to say, the plastic era. And what is so wonderful about this is we’ve used all our scientific ingenuity to make sure that it’s virtually indestructible. It doesn’t decay, you know, it’s wonderful.’”</p><p>Attenborough lets the last word hang in the air, eyebrows and hands raised. Then the hands fall. “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/19/plastic-pollution-risks-near-permanent-contamination-of-natural-environment" title="">Now we dump thousands of tonnes of it, every year, into the se</a>a, and it has catastrophic effects.”</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change">A million bottles a minute: world's plastic binge 'as dangerous as climate change'</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2017/jun/27/ocean-plastic-pollution-scotland-in-pictures">Ocean plastic pollution in Scotland – in pictures</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/01/bbc-planet-earth-not-help-natural-world">The BBC’s Planet Earth II did not help the natural world | Martin Hughes-Games</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/25/david-attenborough-on-the-scourge-of-the-oceans-i-remember-being-told-plastic-doesnt-decay-its-wonderful">Continue reading...</a>David AttenboroughEnvironmentConservationPlastic bagsPlasticsTelevision & radioOceansPopulationCultureDocumentaryWildlifeFactual TVTelevisionEducational TVMon, 25 Sep 2017 14:00:15 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/25/david-attenborough-on-the-scourge-of-the-oceans-i-remember-being-told-plastic-doesnt-decay-its-wonderfulPhotograph: Alicia Canter for the GuardianPhotograph: Alicia Canter for the GuardianFiona Harvey2017-09-25T14:00:15ZThe Vietnam War: terror, heartbreak and helicopters ablaze in an epic documentaryhttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/25/the-vietnam-war-terror-heartbreak-and-helicopters-ablaze-in-an-epic-documentary
<p>It was the first war fought on TV – and now documentary master Ken Burns brings the most extraordinary look at Vietnam ever to the small screen. And from guerrilla truths to dead people’s testimonies, it will rock history</p><p>It’s rare for someone who makes TV documentaries to become the subject of one. But earlier this year, Tom Hanks hosted a tribute show called Ken Burns: America’s Storyteller. Colleagues, historians and even presidents praised the work of a film-maker who has consistently encouraged Americans to look to their past.<br></p><p> Burns made his name with The Civil War in 1990, analysing historical divisions in the US from 1861-65. Now, he burnishes his supremacy among factual film-makers by tackling the second great nation-splitting conflict that occurred exactly a century later.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/25/the-vietnam-war-terror-heartbreak-and-helicopters-ablaze-in-an-epic-documentary">Continue reading...</a>DocumentaryFactual TVTelevisionTelevision & radioCultureMon, 25 Sep 2017 12:36:29 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/25/the-vietnam-war-terror-heartbreak-and-helicopters-ablaze-in-an-epic-documentaryPhotograph: BBCPhotograph: BBCMark Lawson2017-09-25T12:36:29ZThursday’s best TV: Without Limits – Vietnam; Educating Greater Manchesterhttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/21/thursdays-best-tv-without-limits-vietnam-educating-greater-manchester
<p>The intrepid Brits with disabilities meet their Vietnamese counterparts; plus more challenges for Harrop Fold’s Mr Povey</p><p>The concluding half of an agreeable doc following six Brits with disabilities as they travel through Vietnam. The location doesn’t add much since the film’s value is in hearing the participants talk about the everyday pains, sadnesses and triumphs of their lives, which they could almost as easily have done at home. Tonight they do, however, meet Vietnamese people who live with both disability and vastly inferior medical resources. <em>Jack Seale</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/21/thursdays-best-tv-without-limits-vietnam-educating-greater-manchester">Continue reading...</a>TelevisionTelevision & radioCultureFactual TVDocumentaryEducational TVReality TVThu, 21 Sep 2017 05:00:25 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/21/thursdays-best-tv-without-limits-vietnam-educating-greater-manchesterPhotograph: BBC/John LiveseyPhotograph: BBC/John LiveseyBen Arnold, Mark Gibbings-Jones, Phil Harrison, Paul Howlett, Jack Seale, David Stubbs, Hannah Verdier, Jonathan Wright2017-09-21T05:00:25ZThe Detectives: Murder on the Streets review – the detective documentary as Manc noirhttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/21/detectives-murder-on-street-famalam-bad-moves-tv-review
<p>A fascinating look into the realities of a murder investigation. Plus, from Nollywood pastiche to Black History UK garage style, new sketch show Famalam</p><p>A city at night, artfully filmed from above, with a moody score. It might be Copenhagen – actually, it’s Manchester. Now we’re on the ground, a female detective drives across the city to where a badly burned body has been found. Again, it’s attentively filmed – through the windscreen, in the mirror, shadows and reflections.</p><p>Manc noir, maybe. A gritty new police procedural? Actual police procedure in fact, documentary – <strong>The Detectives: Murder on the Streets</strong> (BBC2).</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/21/detectives-murder-on-street-famalam-bad-moves-tv-review">Continue reading...</a>TelevisionTelevision & radioCulturePoliceCrimeComedyDocumentaryFactual TVThu, 21 Sep 2017 05:00:25 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/21/detectives-murder-on-street-famalam-bad-moves-tv-reviewPhotograph: Will Morgan/BBC/Minnow Films/Will MorganPhotograph: Will Morgan/BBC/Minnow Films/Will MorganSam Wollaston2017-09-21T05:00:25ZThe week in TV: Rellik; Liar; The Other One; Static; Tribes; Predators and Me; The A-Z of Later… With Jools Hollandhttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/17/the-week-in-tv-rellik-liar-the-other-one-tribes-predators-and-me-a-z-of-later-with-jules-holland
Two masterly thrillers by sibling co-writers battled it out, and a wry comedy about a bigamist’s daughters made for a wild half hour<p><strong>Rellik</strong> (BBC1) | <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b095b48d/rellik-series-1-episode-1" title="">iPlayer</a><br><strong>Liar</strong> (ITV) | <a href="https://www.itv.com/hub/liar/2a4547a0001" title="">ITV Hub</a><br><strong>The Other One</strong> (BBC2) | <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0953y6k/the-other-one" title="">iPlayer</a><br><strong>Static</strong> (BBC1) <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0953yr8" title="">iPlayer</a><br><strong>Tribes, Predators and Me</strong> (BBC2) | <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0957hy1" title="">iPlayer</a><br><strong>The A-Z of Later... With Jools Holland</strong> (BBC2) | <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b095vnkc" title="">iPlayer</a></p><p>Those Williams brothers, Harry and Jack, just can’t seem to catch the breaks. Granted, they were always going to be globally thwarted as “most successful siblings with the surname Williams”, but it’s got to be a further cruel blow that two of their exquisitely plotted dramas, surely long in the chin-stroking ponder and either one of which deserves to garner success, were scheduled (with borderline-criminal stupidity, or ditto cynicism) against each other at the very same time on Monday night, chasing precisely the same ratings.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/17/the-week-in-tv-rellik-liar-the-other-one-tribes-predators-and-me-a-z-of-later-with-jules-holland">Continue reading...</a>Crime dramaDramaComedyDocumentaryJools HollandMusic TVTelevisionTelevision & radioCultureComedyMusicSun, 17 Sep 2017 05:59:33 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/17/the-week-in-tv-rellik-liar-the-other-one-tribes-predators-and-me-a-z-of-later-with-jules-hollandPhotograph: Joss Barratt/BBC/New Pictures/Joss BarrattPhotograph: Joss Barratt/BBC/New Pictures/Joss BarrattEuan Ferguson2017-09-17T05:59:33ZRadiohead and Hans Zimmer collaborate for Blue Planet II teaserhttps://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/sep/14/radiohead-hans-zimmer-blue-planet-2-soundtrack-bloom
<p>A prequel to the blockbuster nature documentary series will feature (ocean) Bloom, an orchestral reworking of Radiohead’s song Bloom</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/radiohead">Radiohead</a> have teamed with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/apr/28/hans-zimmer-classical-composers-pop-festivals-coachella">Hans Zimmer</a>, the Oscar-winning composer for The Dark Knight, The Lion King and Gladiator, on a new piece of music – called ocean (Bloom) – that will appear on a prequel to the BBC’s flagship nature documentary series <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/feb/20/sir-david-attenborough-to-narrate-bbcs-blue-planet-ii">Blue Planet II</a>.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/14/must-watch-tv-autumn-2017-larry-david-attenborough">The must-watch TV of autumn 2017, from Blue Planet to Stranger Things</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/sep/14/radiohead-hans-zimmer-blue-planet-2-soundtrack-bloom">Continue reading...</a>RadioheadBBC1OceansMusicPop and rockClassical musicCultureBBCDocumentaryEnvironmentFactual TVTelevisionTelevision & radioThom YorkeMediaDavid AttenboroughThu, 14 Sep 2017 18:12:32 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/sep/14/radiohead-hans-zimmer-blue-planet-2-soundtrack-bloomComposite: GettyComposite: GettyBen Beaumont-Thomas and agencies2017-09-14T18:12:32ZThursday’s best TV: Mercury Prize Live; Without Limitshttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/14/thursdays-best-tv-mercury-prize-live-without-limits-ambulance
<p>Lauren Laverne hosts as Ed Sheeran vies for the top-album prize. Plus: disabled Brits face the challenge of a lifetime in Vietnam</p><p>Two words: Ed Sheeran. If you’re still reading, and applauding the inclusion of Mr Galway Girl in this year’s Mercury shortlist, may we also interest you in Sampha and J Hus? The former’s meditation on grief, Process, has won critical plaudits galore, while the latter’s Common Sense is a polished blend of Afrobeats and bashment. Other nominees include Alt-J, Blossoms and Kate Tempest. Lauren Laverne hosts as the winner is revealed. Al<em>i Catterall</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/14/thursdays-best-tv-mercury-prize-live-without-limits-ambulance">Continue reading...</a>TelevisionTelevision & radioCultureFactual TVDocumentaryThu, 14 Sep 2017 05:01:33 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/14/thursdays-best-tv-mercury-prize-live-without-limits-ambulancePhotograph: John Livesey/BBC/John LiveseyPhotograph: John Livesey/BBC/John LiveseyAli Catterall, Phil Harrison, Paul Howlett, Mark Gibbings-Jones, Jack Seale, David Stubbs, Hannah Verdier, Jonathan Wright2017-09-14T05:01:33ZThe must-watch TV of autumn 2017, from Blue Planet to Stranger Thingshttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/14/must-watch-tv-autumn-2017-larry-david-attenborough
<p>Strictly sparkles, David Simon goes hardcore, Jodie Foster bags a Black Mirror, Spike Lee has to have it – and it’s welcome back Winona Ryder, Larry David and the League of Gentlemen</p><p>• Autumn arts preview 2017: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/sep/12/unmissable-theatre-comedy-and-dance-of-autumn-2017-hamilton">Stage</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/sep/13/essential-pop-classical-jazz-autumn-2017">Music</a> | <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/sep/11/must-see-movies-of-autumn-2017">Film</a></p><p>Sci-fi writer Philip K Dick rivals Jane Austen and Stephen King in his book-to-screen ratio: the movies Blade Runner, Minority Report and the hit series <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/dec/16/the-man-in-the-high-castle-trump-amazon-drama">The Man in the High Castle</a> were all based on his work. This anthology series adapts 10 stories, with a starry mix of lead actors from Steve Buscemi and Joanna Scanlan to Bryan Cranston and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/dec/13/benedict-wong-marco-polo-netflix">Benedict Wong</a>. <br></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/14/must-watch-tv-autumn-2017-larry-david-attenborough">Continue reading...</a>Television & radioTelevisionTV streamingCultureMediaBBCNetflixSky AtlanticDramaPeriod dramaFantasyComedyDocumentaryEducational TVFactual TVCurb Your EnthusiasmBlack MirrorDavid SimonPolitics TVThe news on TVTelevision industryUS televisionComedyDavid FincherStranger ThingsDavid AttenboroughHobbiesLife and styleGeorge MichaelThe CrownThe League of GentlemenSpike LeeThu, 14 Sep 2017 05:00:33 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/14/must-watch-tv-autumn-2017-larry-david-attenboroughComposite: Netflix / BBC / KudosComposite: Netflix / BBC / KudosStuart Heritage, Mark Lawson and Kate Abbott2017-09-14T05:00:33ZAlan Root obituaryhttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/11/alan-root-obituary
One of the first film-makers to bring African wildlife to television<p>Alan Root was a pioneering wildlife film-maker whose life often seemed to be something out of an Indiana Jones movie. Yet despite his larger-than-life character he always put the animals’ story at the heart of his films, and prided himself on “keeping it real” throughout his long and innovative career. In the words of Sir David Attenborough, “Alan Root made natural history film-making grow up.”</p><p>Alan, who has died aged 80, was one of the first people to bring Africa’s wildlife to our screens. He was best known for his contributions to Anglia Television’s long-running series Survival, many made in partnership with his first wife, Joan. One of these – the 1978 film <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFGr2tcXh2w" title="">Mysterious Castles of Clay</a>, about the hidden life of a termite mound – was nominated for an Academy Award. He also introduced <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/story/20151226-the-woman-who-gave-her-life-to-save-the-gorillas" title="">Dian Fossey</a> to her first mountain gorillas, and later shot some of the wildlife footage for the 1988 film Gorillas in the Mist.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/11/alan-root-obituary">Continue reading...</a>Factual TVDocumentaryWildlifeEnvironmentTelevision & radioTelevisionAnimalsWorld newsAfricaKenyaDavid AttenboroughMon, 11 Sep 2017 10:54:28 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/11/alan-root-obituaryPhotograph: Arthur Schatz/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Arthur Schatz/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesStephen Moss2017-09-11T10:54:28ZThursday’s best TV: Educating Greater Manchester; Tin Starhttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/07/thursdays-best-tv-educating-greater-manchester-tin-star
<p>Impressive tough love from Harrop Fold school’s student development team. Plus Tim Roth as a Rocky mountain cop</p><p>Did you ever come across a beautiful woodland clearing and think: “I know what’s missing here: a huge pile of Lego”? This week, the teams must build a spectacular display for an Essex nature walk, possibly incorporating a Madagascan crocodile and, under the watchful eyes of guest judges <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/nhs">Bill Bailey</a> and Lego artist Sean Kenney, as many miniature plants and creatures as can be made in 45 minutes, using just 15 bricks each. <em>Ali Catterall</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/07/thursdays-best-tv-educating-greater-manchester-tin-star">Continue reading...</a>TelevisionTelevision & radioCultureFactual TVDocumentaryEducational TVCrime dramaDramaThu, 07 Sep 2017 05:00:51 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/07/thursdays-best-tv-educating-greater-manchester-tin-starPhotograph: CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITYPhotograph: CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITYAli Catterall, Phil Harrison, Paul Howlett, Andrew Mueller, Jack Seale, David Stubbs, Graeme Virtue, Jonathan Wright2017-09-07T05:00:51ZI thought I had left war behind me in Sudan. But then I came face to face with my prison guard | Ayik Chuthttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/05/i-thought-i-had-left-war-behind-me-in-sudan-but-then-i-came-face-to-face-with-my-prison-guard
<p>Years after escaping life as a child soldier, I met my prison guard. If we’d still been in Sudan, I would have killed him. Now, I’m trying something different<br></p><p>When I first arrived in Australia, I thought it was like heaven. I felt like I’d been given a second life – or more like a fifth or sixth life. When I look at my son, Freeman, it brings back memories. I wasn’t far away from his age when I was a child solider. I was only 13 when I first used an AK47.</p><p>In 1983, a civil war broke out in Sudan. My father and older brother died around the same time. I wanted to fight, because I was very angry. I volunteered in the beginning not really knowing what I was getting myself into.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/sep/04/anglican-church-leader-says-cuts-to-asylum-seeker-welfare-support-callous">Anglican church leader says cuts to asylum seeker welfare support 'callous'</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/05/captured-in-darfur-south-sudan">Kidnapped, tortured and thrown in jail: my 70 days in Sudan</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/05/i-thought-i-had-left-war-behind-me-in-sudan-but-then-i-came-face-to-face-with-my-prison-guard">Continue reading...</a>SudanCultureSBSAfricaAustralian mediaWorld newsDocumentaryTue, 05 Sep 2017 04:55:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/05/i-thought-i-had-left-war-behind-me-in-sudan-but-then-i-came-face-to-face-with-my-prison-guardPhotograph: SBSPhotograph: SBSAyik Chut2017-09-05T04:55:07ZEducating Greater Manchester review – new terrifying, inspiring tales from the chalkfacehttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/01/educating-greater-manchester-review-new-terrifying-inspiring-tales-from-the-chalkface
At a Salford school, once the worst in the country, heartwarming friendships are formed and the pupils must come to terms with a terror attack<p>Ding-a-ling-ding-ding-ding! Is that the school bell you can hear? It is: break’s over, holiday’s over, it’s a&nbsp;new term, new school. New terrifying, inspiring tales from the chalkface. This time we are in Salford, at <a href="http://www.harropfold.com/" title="">Harrop Fold school</a>, for <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/educating-greater-manchester" title=""><strong>Educating Greater Manchester </strong></a>(Channel 4).</p><p>Who is going to emerge as an absolute legend this time? In <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/sep/22/tv-review-educating-essex" title="">Educating Essex</a>, it was Mr Drew. Deputy head, disciplinarian, but brilliant with it, he was a great teacher and he really cared. In <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/sep/06/educating-yorkshire-waterloo-road" title="">Yorkshire</a>, first it was headteacher Mr Mitchell, also tough, also caring. Then lovely English teacher Mr Burton; you will have cried at the episode when he helped <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/oct/14/musharaf-asghar-stammer-educating-yorkshire-mushy-tears-speech-islamophobia" title="">Musharaf overcome his stammer</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/01/educating-greater-manchester-review-new-terrifying-inspiring-tales-from-the-chalkface">Continue reading...</a>TelevisionTelevision & radioCultureDocumentaryFactual TVEducationFri, 01 Sep 2017 05:59:36 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/01/educating-greater-manchester-review-new-terrifying-inspiring-tales-from-the-chalkfacePhotograph: Ryan McNamara/CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITYPhotograph: Ryan McNamara/CHANNEL 4 PICTURE PUBLICITYSam Wollaston2017-09-01T05:59:36ZEating With My Ex review – horribly moreish First Dates-style reunionshttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/31/eating-with-my-ex-review-horribly-moreish-first-dates-style-reunions
<p>Eight documentary vignettes serve up a discreet display of fireworks over the dinner table as former couples dissect past passions </p><p><strong>What is it? </strong>Awkward recriminations over a&nbsp;restaurant table.</p><p><strong>Why you’ll love it:</strong> Another horribly moreish commission from BBC3, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/1db53664-70a6-4cbf-960d-e7edbcd95a7b" title="">Eating With My Ex</a> dishes up eight seven-minute documentary vignettes, each featuring a former couple who meet for a meal to dissect old passions. Click on one as a starter and you will stay for the full tasting menu.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/31/eating-with-my-ex-review-horribly-moreish-first-dates-style-reunions">Continue reading...</a>TelevisionCultureTelevision & radioDocumentaryFactual TVThu, 31 Aug 2017 16:22:19 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/31/eating-with-my-ex-review-horribly-moreish-first-dates-style-reunionsPhotograph: BBCPhotograph: BBCJulia Raeside2017-08-31T16:22:19ZMountain: Life at the Extreme review – a documentary on survival, death and human peregrines in the Rockieshttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/31/mountain-life-at-the-extreme-review-a-documentary-on-survival-death-and-human-peregrines-in-the-rockies
<p>From the murderous wildlife to a daredevil skier and a man who leaps into the abyss, this series brings the drama of the landscape to life on a grand scale</p><p>An abandoned isolated ranch in the mountains. Something very, very scary is going on at night: murder, on a grand scale. The bones of the dead litter the floors of the dilapidated farm buildings. Magpies pick over the carcass of the most recent victim. Night falls. What was that, in the shadows? And who is next? Maybe you …</p><p>Amityville? Blair Witch? Actually, it&nbsp;is a wildlife documentary, about the Rockies. But <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b093xhxm" title=""><strong>Mountain: Life at the Extreme</strong></a> (BBC2) – which will also look at wildlife of the Himalayas and the Andes in the two episodes to come – is trying quite hard to be a bit different. Not just the usual: the changing seasons, the hunt for food and a shag etc. Give them a bit of horror, why not.&nbsp;“As night falls, the ranch becomes the realm of the phantom killer,” says narrator Douglas Henshall, dropping his voice.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/31/mountain-life-at-the-extreme-review-a-documentary-on-survival-death-and-human-peregrines-in-the-rockies">Continue reading...</a>TelevisionTelevision & radioCultureDocumentaryFactual TVWildlifeEnvironmentThu, 31 Aug 2017 06:00:23 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/31/mountain-life-at-the-extreme-review-a-documentary-on-survival-death-and-human-peregrines-in-the-rockiesPhotograph: Grab/BBCPhotograph: Grab/BBCSam Wollaston2017-08-31T06:00:23ZWhat Makes a Psychopath? review – first-hand insights, but too few answershttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/30/horizon-what-makes-psychopath-review
<p>This was a responsible look at a troubling subject, even if Ian Brady’s inclusion felt like a gimmick. Plus, Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls</p><p>For some unknowable reason, last night’s <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b093tmt7"><strong>Horizon: What Makes a Psychopath?</strong></a> – an investigation into people who score highly for personality traits such as grandiosity, superficiality, lying, being easily bored, having short attention spans and an inability to empathise with others or feel guilt or remorse – felt timely.</p><p>Psychologist Prof Uta Frith was our guide on a tour of what defines and creates such a being and whether he (or presumably she, although there was no mention of a distaff counterpart to the men interviewed or referred to in the programme) can ever be successfully treated.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/30/horizon-what-makes-psychopath-review">Continue reading...</a>TelevisionTelevision & radioCultureDocumentaryFactual TVPsychologyScienceWed, 30 Aug 2017 06:30:23 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/30/horizon-what-makes-psychopath-reviewPhotograph: Annie Mackinder/BBC / Annie MackinderPhotograph: Annie Mackinder/BBC / Annie MackinderLucy Mangan2017-08-30T06:30:23ZMargaret Atwood – You Have Been Warned! review: precious little of the woman herselfhttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/29/margaret-atwood-you-have-been-warned-imagine-review
<p>There were tantalising clips and the odd great moment in this edition of Imagine, but not enough new material. Plus: a surprisingly restrained Channel 5 show on solitary confinement</p><p>We have much to thank Annie the Ant for. Leafing through her first novel (written at the age of six or seven), Margaret Atwood noted drily – with Atwood, it is always drily – that the beginning of her story about Annie’s journey from egg to ant was very boring. “But I learned something about the art of narrative. Which is not to make it so boring at the beginning.”</p><p>Before she even hit double figures, the daughter of an entomologist and a housewife was already at the larval stage of what would become a 70-year (and counting) writing career that has granted her every literary prize and critical accolade under the sun and gifted the world a – so far, so gloriously – endless stream of dense, subtle, allusive, brilliant, visionary and always addictively readable books.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/29/margaret-atwood-you-have-been-warned-imagine-review">Continue reading...</a>Margaret AtwoodDocumentaryTelevision & radioFactual TVTelevisionBooksCultureAlan YentobTue, 29 Aug 2017 05:00:54 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/29/margaret-atwood-you-have-been-warned-imagine-reviewPhotograph: BBC/Katy HomanPhotograph: BBC/Katy HomanLucy Mangan2017-08-29T05:00:54ZThe week in TV: The State; Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?; In Therapy: Paul Burrell and morehttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/27/kosminsky-the-state-astronauts-do-you-have-what-it-takes-wasting-away-tv-review
<p>Peter Kosminsky’s Isis drama gives a human face to western combatants, while BBC2’s astronaut test brings the alphas down a peg</p><p><strong>The State</strong> (C4) | <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-state" title="">All 4</a><br><strong>Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?</strong> (BBC2) | <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p05bf1jt" title="">iPlayer</a><br><strong>In Therapy: Paul Burrell</strong> (C5) | <a href="https://www.my5.tv/in-therapy/season-3/episode-4" title="">My5</a><br><strong>Wasting Away: The Truth About Anorexia</strong> (C4) | <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/wasting-away-the-truth-about-anorexia" title="">All 4</a></p><p>Coming so soon after the terrorist attack in Spain, the timing of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/peter-kosminsky" title="">Peter Kosminsky</a>’s <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-state" title=""><strong>The State</strong></a>, four parts running over consecutive nights, could not, according to some quarters, have been more offensive. Yet did Kosminsky (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/series/wolf-hall-episode-by-episode" title=""><em>Wolf Hall</em></a>; <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/feb/07/the-promise-tv-review" title=""><em>The Promise</em></a>) glorify or excuse the westerners who left the UK to join Islamic State? Or did this powerful, textured drama do something much more disturbing and vital, in humanising such people, examining their decisions, delusions, self-justifications and eventual regret?</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/05/peter-kosminsky-the-state-isis-death-cult-lure-of-jihad-c4">Peter Kosminsky on The State: ‘I feared I’d be seen as an apologist for a death cult’</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/nov/28/conversation-chris-hadfield-randall-munroe-interview">Chris Hadfield meets Randall Munroe: ‘Are we alone in the universe?'</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/27/uk-child-mental-health-services-destroying-lives-families">Cuts to UK mental health services are destroying young lives and families | Mark Austin</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/27/kosminsky-the-state-astronauts-do-you-have-what-it-takes-wasting-away-tv-review">Continue reading...</a>TelevisionPeter KosminskyDramaFactual TVDocumentaryTelevision & radioCultureSun, 27 Aug 2017 06:00:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/27/kosminsky-the-state-astronauts-do-you-have-what-it-takes-wasting-away-tv-reviewPhotograph: Channel 4Photograph: Channel 4Barbara Ellen2017-08-27T06:00:02ZPrince William: Queen shielded us from public grief after death of Dianahttps://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/aug/23/prince-william-queen-shielded-us-from-public-grief-after-dianas-death
<p>In BBC film, Prince Harry seems to confirm Charles broke the news, and William says he was thankful for ‘the privacy to mourn’</p><p>Princes William and Harry have revealed how the Queen and Prince Charles sought to shield them for as long as possible from the hysteria that swept Britain 20 years ago after the death of their mother, Diana.<br tabindex="-1"></p><p>In a BBC documentary due to be broadcast on Sunday, they recall how they were kept away from public view on the Queen’s Balmoral estate, knowing nothing of the extraordinary response throughout the country.<br tabindex="-1"></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/aug/23/prince-william-queen-shielded-us-from-public-grief-after-dianas-death">Continue reading...</a>Diana, Princess of WalesPrince WilliamPrince HarryThe QueenPrince CharlesMonarchyUK newsDocumentaryTelevision & radioBBCWed, 23 Aug 2017 10:14:52 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/aug/23/prince-william-queen-shielded-us-from-public-grief-after-dianas-deathPhotograph: Adam Butler/PAPhotograph: Adam Butler/PACaroline Davies2017-08-23T10:14:52ZMonday’s best TV: Storyville: Silk Road – Drugs, Death and the Dark Web; Streetmatehttps://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/reality-check/2017/aug/21/silk-road-documentary-streetmate
The new frontline in the drugs war is explored in Mark Lewis’s gripping doc, and Scarlett Moffatt plays urban cupid<p> Almost two decades after Davina McCall first combed the UK’s town centres looking for impromptu love matches, the dating show that favours chugger tactics over swiping right,&nbsp;returns in a daytime slot. I’m A Celeb champ Scarlett Moffatt is the new urban Cupid, buttonholing hot strangers&nbsp;on behalf of shy types&nbsp;such as Austin – a buff personal trainer armed with a killer knock-knock joke – and Sara, a former beauty queen who&nbsp;knows her fossils. <em>Graeme&nbsp;Virtue</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/reality-check/2017/aug/21/silk-road-documentary-streetmate">Continue reading...</a>TelevisionTelevision & radioCultureFactual TVDocumentaryMon, 21 Aug 2017 05:19:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/reality-check/2017/aug/21/silk-road-documentary-streetmatePhotograph: HANDOUT/REUTERSPhotograph: HANDOUT/REUTERSMark Gibbings-Jones, Graeme Virtue, Paul Howlett, Hannah Verdier, Luke Holland, Ben Arnold, David Stubbs2017-08-21T05:19:03Z